FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Contacts:
Nasserie Carew (202-552-6561 or ncarew@interaction.org)
Tawana Jacobs (202-552-6534 or tjacobs@interaction.org)

InterAction Members Respond to the Crisis in the Caucasus

Washington, DC—The United Nations now estimates that up to 100,000 people have been displaced in
the conflict between Georgia and Russia. According to Russian and Georgian officials, up to 30,000
refugees have fled northward into Russia since the Georgian offensive to retake control of the
autonomous territory of South Ossetia began on August 8, 2008. It is estimated that 56,000 people have
fled from the Gori region in Georgia toward the capital Tbilisi, approximately 80% of the population of the
town.

Twenty-two InterAction member organizations are responding to the humanitarian needs with emergency
medical, food, shelter, water and hygiene supplies.

The U.S. Embassy in Georgia issued a Disaster Declaration on Sunday, August 10, and the U.S. Agency
for International Development (USAID) has announced an initial $250,000 in emergency assistance for
the people of Georgia. The Government of Georgia has requested humanitarian assistance, specifically
medicines, medical supplies, emergency shelter items and food.

A regularly updated list of agencies responding will be available at:

www.interaction.org/caucasus

InterAction has also developed guidelines on the most appropriate ways to help those affected by
overseas disasters: http://www.interaction.org/disaster/guide_giving.html.

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InterAction is the largest alliance of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian

nongovernmental organizations. Our 165 members operate in every developing country, working with
local communities to overcome poverty and suffering by helping to improve their quality of life.
ORGANIZATIONS RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS IN THE CAUCASUS

ADRA International Giving Children Hope/Global Operations for

12501 Old Columbia Pike Development
Silver Spring MD 20904 8332 Commonwealth Ave
1.800.424.ADRA (2372) Buena Park, CA 90621
www.adra.org 714-523-4454
http://www.gchope.org/sending-aid-to-
American Jewish Joint Distribution georgia.html
Committee
PO Box 530 International Orthodox Christian Charities
132 East 43rd St. P.O. Box 630225
New York, NY 10017, Baltimore, MD 21263-0225
212-687-6200 1-877-803-IOCC (4622)
www.jdc.org www.iocc.org

American Red Cross International Medical Corps

International Response Fund 1919 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 400
P.O. Box 37243 Santa Monica, CA 90404
Washington, DC 20013 800-481-4462
1-800-RED-CROSS www.imcworldwide.org
www.redcross.org
International Relief and Development
Baptist World Alliance 1621 North Kent Street
Georgia Conflict Fourth Floor
405 North Washington Street Arlington, VA 22209
Falls Church, VA 22046 703-248-0161
1-703-790-8980 www.ird.org
www.bwanet.org/bwaid
International Rescue Committee
CARE Georgia Crisis
151 Ellis Street NE PO Box 96651
Atlanta, GA 30303 Washington, DC 20090-6651
1-800-521-2273 1-877-REFUGEE (877 733 8433)
www.care.org www.theirc.org

Catholic Relief Services Lutheran World Relief

Georgia Emergency Fund Caucasus Emergency Response
P.O. Box 17090 P.O. Box 17061
Baltimore, MD 21203-7090 Baltimore, MD 21298-9832
877-HELP-CRS 1-800-597-5972
www.crs.org www.lwr.org

CHF International Mercy Corps

8601 Georgia Avenue #800 Georgia Conflict Fund
Silver Spring, MD 20910 Dept NR
301-587-4700 PO Box 2669
www.chfinternational.org Portland OR 97208
1-800-852-2100
Church World Service http://www.mercycorps.org/countries/georgia/
28606 Phillips Street
P.O. Box 968 Project HOPE
Elkhart, IN 46515 255 Carter Hall Lane
1-800-297-1516 Millwood, VA 22646
www.churchworldservice.org 1-800-544-4673
www.projecthope.org
Relief International U.S. Fund for UNICEF
Emergency Response Fund 125 Maiden Lane
1575 Westwood Blvd New York, NY 10038
Suite 200 1-800-4-UNICEF
Los Angeles, CA 90024 www.unicefusa.org
310-478-1200
www.ri.org World Vision
P.O. Box 9716
Save the Children Federal Way, WA 98063
Georgia Children in Crisis Fund 1-888-56-CHILD
54 Wilton Road www.worldvision.org
Westport, CT 06880
1-800-728-3843
www.savethechildren.org

United Methodist Committee on Relief

Georgia Emergency #250305
PO Box 9068
New York, NY 10087
1-800-554-8583
www.umcor.org
 DETAILS OF ASSISTANCE BEING PROVIDED

ADRA International www.adra.org

12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring MD 20904 1.800.424.ADRA (2372)
(August 12, 2008) ADRA is assessing the immediate needs of thousands of displaced persons in and
around the region of South Ossetia who have been affected by the recent civil unrest. ADRA plans to
provide emergency aid such as food, clean water, blankets, and basic shelter. Currently, ADRA is
accepting financial contributions to help the communities in distress. Donations can be made securely at
www.adra.org or by calling 1-800-424-ADRA (2372).

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee www.jdc.org

PO Box 530, 132 East 43rd St., New York, NY, 10017, 212-687-6200
(August 12, 2008) JDC is currently providing humanitarian aid to victims and refugees of the conflict in the
South Ossetia region of the Caucasus.

American Red Cross www.redcross.org

International Response Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013, 1-800-RED-CROSS
(August 12, 2008) The American Red Cross is helping people affected and displaced by the conflict in
Georgia through a $100,000 contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). This
contribution is in support of an appeal issued by ICRC on August 11, 2008 to meet immediate
humanitarian needs resulting from this conflict, including assistance to civilians in South Ossetia, and
those displaced in the northern Caucasus and Georgia.

Baptist World Alliance www.bwanet.org/bwaid

Georgia Conflict, 405 North Washington Street Falls Church, VA 22046,1-703-790-8980
(August 12, 2008) Baptist World Aid (BWAid) the relief and development arm of the Baptist World Alliance
(BWA) is working with the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia to provide relief to those suffering from
the recent conflict. Relief will be provided to all in need and distributed through the 50 Baptist churches in
Georgia.

CARE www.care.org
151 Ellis Street NE Atlanta, GA 30303 1-800-521-2273
(August 11, 2008) CARE has operated in Georgia since 1992, initially working with local organizations to
assist people displaced by conflict. Under UN coordination and with other humanitarian organizations,
CARE will provide water and sanitation, food and shelter to people displaced in this latest conflict. CARE
has operated in rural areas of the country and in the Guria region, working to reduce poverty and advance
healthcare and livelihoods. CARE staff of 70 people are primarily nationals.

Catholic Relief Services www.crs.org

Georgia Emergency Fund, P.O. Box 17090 Baltimore, MD 21203-7090 877-HELP-CRS
(August 12, 2008) Catholic Relief Services is supporting the emergency relief efforts of Caritas Georgia
and Caritas Internationalis in responding to the needs of people displaced by the conflict in Georgia. CRS
is supporting a Caritas Georgia soup kitchen in Tbilisi, which is feeding hundreds of people three meals
per day. CRS will also provide medical supplies and other material to overburdened hospitals in the
capital Tbilisi and in Gori, where much of the fighting has taken place. CRS is also looking to support
returning families in rehabilitating destroyed homes and reestablishing their lives. As additional funding
becomes available, the programs of CRS and its local NGO partners will be scaled up.

CHF International www.chfinternational.org

8601 Georgia Avenue #800, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 301-587-4700
(August 12, 2008) CHF International is deeply concerned over the conflict in Georgia and its impact on
the civilian population. Since 2004, CHF International has worked with communities throughout Georgia
to build economic infrastructure, develop livelihoods and build community capacity. CHF’s nationwide
presence includes experience in areas neighboring South Ossetia and Abkhazia such as Gori and
Zugdidi. CHF is currently assessing the situation and is committed to providing humanitarian assistance
where necessary. Globally, CHF International is a leader in emergency shelter and livelihoods
interventions with large humanitarian programs in countries including Colombia, Sudan, Ethiopia, and
Indonesia.

Church World Service www.churchworldservice.org

28606 Phillips Street, P.O. Box 968 Elkhart, IN 46515, 1-800-297-1516
(August 12, 2008) Church World Service directly supports two local partners in Georgia, and other
partners by way of the Action by Churches Together-International network. The CWS Europe office
continues to monitor the situation and is in contact with partners affected by this crisis. CWS is ready to
assist the estimated 100,000 people uprooted by fighting by providing material resources and financial
support.

Giving Children Hope/Global Operations for Development http://www.gchope.org/sending-aid-to-

georgia.html
8332 Commonwealth Ave, Buena Park, CA 90621, 714-523-4454
(August 12, 2008) Giving Children Hope is moving quickly to provide assistance to thousands of children
and family members caught in the crossfire of an armed conflict in the region of South Ossetia bordering
on Russia and Georgia. Giving Children Hope has helped ship humanitarian aid to that region since 1994.
Giving Children Hope is preparing to assist 10,000 children and family members affected by the conflict,
with basic health and hygiene supplies as well as cooking provisions and other household items.
Monetary donations are currently being accepted at www.gchope.org to procure disaster relief items.
Giving Children Hope is accepting in-kind donations of blankets, water and non-perishable food.

International Orthodox Christian Charities www.iocc.org

Post Office Box 630225, Baltimore, MD 21263-0225, 1-877-803-IOCC (4622)
(August 11, 2008) International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) has mobilized staff in its Tbilisi and
Moscow offices to provide assistance to those who have been affected by this widening conflict. IOCC is
working in partnership with the Georgian Orthodox Church to provide food and hygiene supplies to IDPs
(internally displaced persons) in the town of Gori and in the capital of Tbilisi. IOCC is also assisting
refugees in North Ossetia with medical and food supplies provided in partnership with the Russian
Orthodox Church.

International Medical Corps www.imcworldwide.org

1919 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 400 Santa Monica, CA 90404 800-481-4462
(August 11, 2008) International Medical Corps' assessment has found that South Ossetians displaced by
the conflict to North Ossetia are in need of non-food items including warm clothing, blankets and hygiene
supplies. South Ossetians fleeing the violence are also in need of mental health support. International
Medical Corps has worked in Russia since 2000, with programs in North Ossetia for the past two years.
IMC is accepting in-kind donations of non-food items, including warm clothing, blankets, hygiene items,
medicines and medical supplies.

International Relief and Development www.ird.org

1621 North Kent Street Fourth Floor Arlington, VA 22209 703-248-0161
(August 12, 2008) In response to the recent violence, IRD has immediately offered the Georgian
government use of all of the pharmaceuticals and medical supplies available through its Emergency
Medical Commodities Distribution program in Georgia. IRD is also acting as the lead agency for UNICEF
on water and sanitation assessments and a partner agency for USAID on health assessments at
collective centers that are currently housing thousands of internally displaced people. IRD also has staff
in Zugdidi providing ongoing information and assessing conditions, and is actively participating in Tblisi
with the UN Coordination Management Team’s emergency relief efforts. IRD is accepting gifts-in kind,
including pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and non-food items in particular. To help IRD and learn more
about the critically needed response, please visit our web site at www.ird.org.

International Rescue Committee www.theirc.org

Georgia Crisis, PO Box 96651 Washington, DC 20090-6651, 1-877-REFUGEE (877 733 8433)
(August 12, 2008) The International Rescue Committee’s team in N. Ossetia, Russia, is distributing
essential relief items to refugees who have fled there to escape violence in Georgia’s disputed region of
S. Ossetia. The IRC will also be supporting a local group that is aiding evacuated orphans and other
children from S. Ossetia and reuniting separated families. IRC emergency experts are set to conduct a
rapid assessment in Georgia with a view toward launching humanitarian aid efforts there and are
prepared to expand relief work throughout the region. A leading aid organization in the Caucasus since
1994, the IRC maintains a staff of 85 aid workers in the region. The IRC is accepting donations to help
carry out immediate and long-term recovery assistance in the region. For more information, visit
www.theIRC.org.

Lutheran World Relief www.lwr.org

Caucasus Emergency Response, P.O. Box 17061 Baltimore, MD 21298-9832, 1-800-597-5972
(August 11, 2008) Through the ACT international alliance, LWR is providing emergency food and hygiene
supplies to displaced people in Georgia and southern Russia.

Mercy Corps http://www.mercycorps.org/countries/georgia/

Georgia Conflict Fund, Dept NR, PO Box 2669, Portland OR 97208, 1-800-852-2100
(August 11, 2008) Mercy Corps is responding to the needs of displaced people in Georgia after intense
fighting erupted there last week. The agency is assessing the humanitarian situation, and has allocated
resources to get aid to people immediately. Mercy Corps has already purchased essential food items -
including bread, rice and oil - and plans to distribute them to hundreds of displaced people in the coming
week. Likely distribution points will be in and around the capital city of Tbilisi. Mercy Corps has worked in
Georgia since 2000. The agency's programs support rural development by helping farm families increase
production, gain access to financing, form farmer groups, and connect to markets and information.

Project HOPE www.projecthope.org

255 Carter Hall Lane, Millwood, VA 22646, 1-800-544-4673
(August 12, 2008) Project HOPE, an international health education and humanitarian assistance
organization, immediately will provide $400,000 of antibiotics to the people of Georgia through a U.S.
Department of State airlift that will travel to Tbilisi later this week. In addition, Project HOPE continues to
work with both U.S. and Georgian government officials to identify and address long-term health care
needs of the Georgian people. Project HOPE currently has a humanitarian assistance shipment of $1.4
million of medicines and medical supplies on the ground in Georgia that arrived just as the conflict
commenced. The shipment may be redirected to assist in conflict relief efforts.

Relief International www.ri.org

Emergency Response Fund, 1575 Westwood Blvd, Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90024, 310-478-
1200
(August 12, 2008) Relief International is currently assessing the recent conflict between Georgia and
Russia in South Ossetia where up to 100,000 have been displaced. RI program response will be
expanded as emergency and long-term needs are detailed. The RI Rapid Emergency Deployment (RED)
team is currently on standby to provide additional assistance. The RED team is a mobile, rapid response
team with the capability to effectively respond to disaster and conflict situations worldwide. To help,
please donate now to RI’s Emergency Response Fund (ERF). The ERF is RI’s revolving emergency
fund, drawn upon only for emergencies throughout the world, including the current crisis in South Ossetia.

Save the Children www.savethechildren.org

Georgia Children in Crisis Fund, 54 Wilton Road, Westport, CT 06880, 800-728-3843
(August 12, 2008) Save the Children has issued an urgent appeal for $1 million to meet the critical needs
of thousands of children and their families forced to flee their homes as a result of the ongoing conflict
between Georgia and Russia. Save the Children’s top priorities are to provide clean water and shelter to
displaced children and families. Save the Children is currently focusing its efforts at 11 different shelters
set up for children and families. The charity has bought food for 1,600 people for a 10-day period which
will be distributed throughout the shelter sites. Save the Children also will be purchasing medicines for
hospitals that are running short of supplies. Staff members are also putting together health, household
and hygiene kits.

United Methodist Committee on Relief www.umcor.org

Georgia Emergency #250305, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087, 800-554-8583
(August 12, 2008) UMCOR's Georgia office is providing health kits to displaced people, medicines and
medical supplies to local hospitals and is the lead coordinating agency for medicines and medical
supplies being provided through U.S. Government-sponsored emergency airlifts. Continued assessments
will determine additional relief efforts. UMCOR is also coordinating with key humanitarian agencies for
immediate responses and anticipates assisting in long-term recovery following recent events.

U.S. Fund for UNICEF www.unicefusa.org

125 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038, 1-800-4-UNICEF
(August 11, 2008) The U.S. Fund for UNICEF is collecting donations to put toward UNICEF’s response.
UNICEF is working closely with UN agencies on the ground, assessing the situation and immediate
needs. At present, access to the zones of conflict is extremely difficult. Offers of humanitarian assistance
have been made by the UN to the governments of Georgia and Russia Federation. UNICEF has offices in
Tbilisi, Georgia, and in Moscow, and Vladikavkaz (North Ossetia) in the Russian Federation, where it is
working closely with government counterparts and partners in the implementation of country programs of
cooperation. They are closely monitoring the situation and have regular contact with the relevant
government authorities.

World Vision
http://donate.wvus.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?lid=510&item=406&lpos=emg_georgiaAug
08_DonateNow&
P.O. Box 9716 Federal Way, WA 98063 1-888-56-CHILD
(August 11, 2008) With 155 staff already working in Georgia, World Vision has reached some 700 people
since Saturday with essential food such as canned meat, pasta, vegetable oil and iodized salt. The
organization is also providing blankets, bedding, hygiene items and medical supplies. World Vision is
working with the United Nation’s World Food Program (WFP) to meet the needs of displaced people in 11
displacement centers, while carrying out needs assessments across Tbilisi, with a special focus on the
needs of children.